In a bustling media tent at the Farm Progress Show, Cesar Delgado commands attention not with his voice but with his determination.
Armed with a specialized communication device and an insatiable curiosity about agriculture, this Chicago-born podcaster creates a weekly show that’s attracted everyone from commodity economists to U.S. senators — all while navigating life with cerebral palsy.
His mother, Lourdes Karina Muñoz, sits beside him with pencil and paper, tracking a growing list of interview requests like a seasoned booking agent.
“It’s a lot of people today,” she says with a laugh.
The lineup for this session reads like a who’s who of agricultural expertise: Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist, StoneX Group Inc.; Conner Bridgman, hedging strategist, AgMarket.Net; Nathan Ihnen, national sales manager for Spraytec; and Bruce Blythe, commodity markets analyst, Farm Futures magazine.
Since starting the program about 10 years ago, Delgado has done hundreds of interviews for his “Backroads of Illinois” podcast, refusing to let cerebral palsy limit his ambitions. His formula for success? Pure curiosity and relentless persistence.
Born in Chicago, Delgado grew up in Ottawa, Ill. He didn’t grow up on a farm but was an active member of his high school FFA chapter. “And talking about commodity markets interested me,” he says.
He dreamed of being an agronomist, but it was listening to farm broadcasters on the radio that piqued his interest in podcasting.
Condition’s effect on body
Cerebral palsy affects the body’s ability to control muscle movement. In Delgado’s case, it also affects his ability to communicate. Technology helps him overcome that. He uses a specialized communication board and speech-generating device that detects his eye movements and translates it into commands or text.
This technology helped him enter the podcasting world, along the way building relationships with farmers, ag economists, Extension experts and industry leaders. His guest list now tallies 583 interviews, including one with U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa.
Delgado has carved out a distinctive space in ag media with his “Markets Club” episodes, where industry experts dissect current market trends affecting corn and soybean producers. The show’s credibility attracted his sponsor, AgriGold.
Power behind podcast
Delgado’s mother has been integral in creating the podcast.
“I help to set up the communication device and to record interviews with the iPhone or anything he needs,” Muñoz says.
Still, she insists the production is all Delgado’s. He does the planning, the interviewing and most of the behind-the-scenes production. Her pride is unmistakable.
“He’s been fighting for his goal, and I knew he’d do it one day,” she says. “I’m proud because he does everything by himself. Everything. He looks at the person to interview. He emails, texts … . It’s great with the communication device.”
For those questioning their own potential, or facing obstacles in podcasting or in farming, Delgado’s message is simple: “Never give up on your goals.”
Muñoz knows her son won’t give up: “I think it will grow little by little, and maybe one day, he’ll have a program on a national or state level,” she says.
And that’s exactly where Delgado plans to go: “I want to be broadcasting on Midwest radio stations and appearing on RFD-TV.”